The Forgotten Workhorse: The Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle Role in World War II

The Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle was designed specifically to be quite an unremarkable aircraft. Designed in response to an Air Ministry specification B.9/38 , this specification called for a medium bomber/general reconnaissance aircraft that was constructed primarily from non-essential materials such as metal and wood rather than light alloys that were in high demand and that suplly of could be critical in the advent of war. It is unclear on who actually designed the aircraft, with some sources stating Bristol before being taken over by Armstrng Whitworth, while others states that it wholly originated with Armstrong-Whitworth. Either way, orders were placed and by 1940 a prototype was flying. Deliveries began by the end of 1941, however before the Albermarle had even started in service, the bomber role had been abandoned as it was found to have no real improvements over medium bombers already in service with RAF Bomber Command. Instead, the Albermarle would be directed into operations as a glider tower, paratrooper carrier and general purpose aircraft. As a paratrooper carrier and glider tower it saw significant operations during the Second World War, being invovled in the invasion of Sicily, D-Day and Operation Market Garden before being pulled from frontline service.
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Sources:
Aviastar: www.aviastar.org/air/england/a...
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum: caspir.warplane.com/bin/warpl...
History of War: www.historyofwar.org/articles/...
Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II
Tangmere Military Aviation Museum : tangmere-museum.org.uk/aircra...
Wikipedia : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armstro...
**While Wikipedia can be disputed for its accuracy, due to the limited sources on the aircraft it was useful to use. I checked the sources and was happy that the article could be considered accurate.
#ww2aircraft #ww2 #aircraft #planes #aviationhistory #raf

[@richard63]

A perfect support vehicle. Apart from it's roles as a paratrooper carrier and a glider tower, the RAF would have relied on this aircraft in logistical roles. Just like a lot of behind-the-scenes support vehicles they don't get the recognition they deserve. A wonderful story to hear about.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Indeed it was. They certainly do not, and it's a shame there is none left on display anywhere to help raise its profile. The support vehicles were vital to the Allied war effort 👍✈️

[@IntrospectorGeneral]

I recall the account of ground crew inspecting Albemarles in the early batch. Having noticed ripples in the upper surface of the plywood wing then then discovered that it was possible to poke a finger through parts of the rotted lower surface of the wing. Water had been accumulating in the wings and the drain points in the wing underside had been doped over, apparently in the factory.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That is very interesting to read. Not a great or ideal situation to have. They are lucky that it was discovered because no doubt it could have possible produced some bad circumstances for unlucky flight crews.

[@geordiedog1749]

Now children, when a Bristol Blenheim and Handley-Page Hampden love each other very much…………

[@AntiqueAirshow]

haha yes it does look a bit like a mix of the two

[@jimroberts3009]

With the North American Mitchell as a grandparent!

[@RemusKingOfRome]

Never heard of this aircraft. Thank you.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Same here, until about a year or so a go someone mentioned it in the comments of one of my other video. Quite an interesting aircraft and history 👍✈️

[@bryanewyatt]

Can't believe I'd never heard of this one. Thank you for the video!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

No problem, I hadn't heard of it either until I had a few comments on other videos about it. Very interesting 👍✈️

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

You missed out that de Havilland was invited to put in a proposal to meet this specification even thought it was materially right up their street. You also missed out that there were 2 designs proposed of the Bristol Tupe 155, both to be fitted with 2 Hercules engines and capable of lugging 1,000lb of bombs over 1,500 miles: 1. A tail-dragger with a span of 80ft and an expected top speed of 302mph; and 2. 70ft span with a tricycle undercarriage and expected top speed of 319mph. A mock up conference was held at Bristol on 15th June 1938, whilst the mock up conference at Armstrong-Whitworth was on 22nd June 1938. After the mock up conferences new specifications were issued - a B.17/38 was issued to Bristol and B.18/38 went to Armstrong-Whitworth. These called for a minimum speed of 250mph at 5,000ft and maximum m economic cruising power, a bombload of 4,000lb. Bristol was busy with the Blenheim, Beaufort and had started work on the Beaufighter so they dropped the Type 155. According to Tony Buttler in his book British Secret Projects - Fighters and Bomber 1935 to 1950 many many published sources erroneously state that the Bristol Type 155 was transferred to Armstrong-Whitworth. The truth is that Armstrong-Whitworth created their own design, the AW.41 or Albermarle. Another example of a myth becoming fact.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Yes I did, thank you for pointing that out. I think that came down to my narrow research parameters (for lack of a better word). I sole focused on the Albermarle, when I should have gone digging for some information of the Bristol Type 155 as well. I'll take note for future research. That is very interesting to read and makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, I don't have access to Tony Butler's book as that seems to be a most useful resource. Myth can became fact very quickly, and it takes a lot of work to unwind them. For something like the Albemarle this can be particularly tricky as there are not many sources to go off to begin with. Interestingly, Wikipedia seems to have it the most correct, but not surprising when you view the sources they used (including Tony Butlers book). 👍✈️

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@AntiqueAirshow Wikipedia has a bad reputation due to allowing anyone to edit its entries without monitoring in its early day. It's usually reasonably accurate these days depending on the sources they cite. Mr Buttler wrote 3 books on the British military aircraft projects.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

@@neiloflongbeck5705 Very much agree, and I usually find that historical events are covered very well and provide good accurate detail. I spent part of university class discussing and looking at the creditability of Wikipedia for history and there are scholars, experts and researchers that dedicate significant time to the site. There is also surprisingly amount of literature out there about the creditability of Wikipedia. I'll have to have a look at them

[@maty1229]

Was a bit surprised by the rebrand, but dig the new look. Nice video on a pretty interesting aircraft

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you, thought it was time to refresh the channel. It is quite finished yet either, I've still got a few small things I need to change. Thanks 👍✈️

[@TonyHazell-hq7cv]

The aircraft shown in the last frame was the one that towed my uncle's Horsa, Chalk 35, on operation Tonga on D Day.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That is very interesting to read and fascinating connection

[@TonyHazell-hq7cv]

@@AntiqueAirshow Sadly it didn't end well. The Glider was hit by flak soon after crossing the French coast and crashed into a wood killing both pilots and all but one of the airborne aboard.

[@ianlitchfield9273]

One of the best looking aircraft we produced in WW2 but so little information or photos of them. Its personality my favourite aircraft & they were built / assembled at the MG car factory in Abingdon-on-Thames just down the road from where I live.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

It is quite a nice looking aircraft. It is a shame there is so little out there on it. These aircraft, while not on undertaking the main duties still played important roles in the war effort. To be honest I hadn't heard of it until about 6-9months ago when someone commented on another video about it. I was surprised that so many had been built and that it actually did some considerable usage. Nice, that's a great bit of local history to have 👍✈️

[@richarddixon7276]

I think the only book I have that even mentions the Albermarle is an old Observer book of Aircraft I bought in the 1960s , of course like most Observer pocket books each plane is covered in just a single page . For those who have never read an observer pocket book off ******* (You name it, if it was interesting they probably published a book about it) they are a good read , a bit like a more detailed version of Top Trumps today . Thanks for some more interesting info on an almost forgotten aircraft . Catch You next flight .

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Nice that's cool, the first I heard about this aircraft was in a comment on one of my other videos. It sure is quite an obscure aircraft. No problem, see you there 👍✈️

[@kikufutaba524]

I think it is a good-looking aircraft. Would enjoy seeing one.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Agree, it would be great if there was one on display. Be interesting to look over 👍✈️

[@mikewilson4847]

Fascinating. Thank you.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

👍✈️

[@joeschenk8400]

I had heard of this plane but didn't know much about it. Thanks for the post.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

No probs, I hadn't either until it was mentioned to me in a comments of another video, Was surprised to see it had quite history to go with to 👍✈️

[@joeschenk8400]

I like the new name of your site (there was nothing wrong with the previous name) . Here in the US we have an antique show on public television called the Antique Roadshow. Antique Airshow sounds just about right@@AntiqueAirshow 👍👍👍

[@AntiqueAirshow]

@@joeschenk8400 Thanks, thought it time for a bit of refresher of the channel. The other name was good, but also quite obscure so hopefully this may help visibility. We have the same show in Australia, quite enjoy watching it every so often. I've got a new segment coming soon to the channel that has taken inspiration from the tv show, which will fit the new channel name well. One of few little things I've still got to fix up with the "rebranding" 👍✈

[@ivancho5854]

Very interesting. Thank you. 👍 I can see a similarity in the nose design to the Bristol Blenheim, but whether that was because of input from Bristol or convergence is difficult to say and it could be either.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Yes I can see it to. There are a few photos of the Albemarle that really show it. Interestingly I did see one source state that the nose being very similar to the Blenheim as "evidence" to the design being transferred from Bristol to Armstrong-Whitworth. I tend to believe though that the two designs were separate designs. 👍✈️

[@14rnr]

Thank you for this.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

👍✈️

[@rogerkay8603]

Cheers Rex!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you, but possibly the wrong channel?

[@Paladin1873]

With a profile and performance that roughly mirrors the B-25 Mitchell, I'm surprised the British bothered designing and building the Albemarle. When it comes to the use of nonstrategic materials, the Mosquito is vastly superior unless you want to haul troops or cargo, but that's where the C-47 excelled. No wonder the Albemarle was little more than a WWII footnote.

[@mpetersen6]

Even aircraft that are obsolete for active combat at the time could be used in valuable service roles. At least then. During WWll the has been could always be put to work in training or ASW roles until better or purpose built aircraft arrived.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Yes most definitely 👍✈️

[@zzzyxwv]

Thank you for putting a name on it I’ve seen as a tow plane

[@AntiqueAirshow]

No probs, it is not widely known and there are few sources on it 👍✈️

[@petesheppard1709]

A good worker.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

It sure was, not all aircraft can be undertaking the main, spotlight roles

[@petesheppard1709]

@@AntiqueAirshow And the unremarked admin missions are just as important to the war effort.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

@@petesheppard1709 Indeed they are.

[@warhawk4494]

Looks like a British B-25 Mitchell lol Very good video on a plane that I only have a passing knowledge about.

[@bacarnal]

My thoughts exactly 😂

[@AntiqueAirshow]

It does have a similar look. The nose also looks quite similar to a Bristol Blenheim. Thank you 👍✈️

[@Greeves]

I love most Wera tools. These look great but in practice I’ve scarcely ever used any of the 3 I have. I’ve tried hard to get my monies worth out of them but they never really seem to suit the job. Too wide, too difficult to get on the nut, jump off - they’re pretty useless. (Meanwhile, I use my Knipex Plier Wrenches all the time 🙂)

[@kevinmiller7792]

Reminds me of the North American B-25 Mitchell.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Does look similar 👍✈️

[@nanordstrom]

.. but then the B25 Mitchell became available...

[@user-xo6mi1fr4j]

My dad flew one on d day with 570 son towing a horsa glider

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That is interesting. They were brave men. Lest we forget.

[@barryporteous4904]

Looked very modern - with its tricycle undercarriage.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Yes it does, one of the first British built aircraft to have it

[@speed1443]

War Thunder please